Mark Tonelli & Afolia

Discover the soulful sounds of Brazil with Mark Tonelli & Afolia! This unique group made up of top St. Louis musicians shines a spotlight on lesser known Brazilian gems, moving beyond the classic bossa novas to unearth hidden treasures. Join Afolia as they take you on a journey through the vibrant rhythms and poignant melodies of 1970’s and 80’s Brazil, celebrating the richness of Brazilian music. Afolia means “revelry” in Portuguese and is a commonly-heard term during Brazil’s famed Carnaval.  

MARK TONELLI - GUITAR  
Mark Tonelli is an internationally-renowned musician and educator based in Decatur, Illinois. He is associate professor of music and coordinator of guitar  studies at Millikin University, an Illinois Humanities Road Scholar, and a  Fulbright Scholar to Brazil. Mark enjoys an active performing career, working with a wide variety of artists: American Idol Clay Aiken, Broadway legend Rita Moreno, rock icons The Platters; crooner Bobby Rydell; and jazz musician Peter Erskine. He has been seen on Fox News and in the Emmy nominated PBS special Marina At West Point. Mark has had residencies in the major music hubs of New York City, Dallas, and Kansas City. His group has released three critically-acclaimed recordings on the MTonal Music label and performs Mark’s award-winning original compositions, rock pieces reimagined for jazz, and Brazilian gems. 

 
He has performed on three continents, including Ukraine, Holland, Brazil, and Canada and in twenty-five U.S. states. As a Fulbright Scholar, Mark  served as a visiting professor at Universidade Federal de Uberlândia in Minas Gerais, Brazil and traveled across the country performing in the cities of São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Goiânia, and Campinas. 

For ten years, Mark was the guitarist for the U.S. Army Jazz Knights, touring and performing in the nation's top venues, including Jazz Standard, Blues  Alley, Jazz Showcase, Kennedy Center, Jazz Kitchen, and Avery Fisher Hall. With the Jazz Knights, Mark performed with a who's who of jazz legends  including Benny Golson, Billy Cobham, Bobby Watson, Rufus Reid, and Bob Mintzer, as well as the Boston Pops and the New York Philharmonic Brass Quintet. Mark's music has been featured on National Public Radio's (NPR) All Things Considered. He has been a winner or finalist in the Billboard Magazine World Song Contest and the USA Songwriting Competition.  

FEYZA EREN - VOCALS  

Prized among vocal-jazz enthusiasts for the beauty of her voice, her choices in phrasing, and the clarity of her tone, Feyza Eren had a long and very successful career in Europe before moving back to her hometown. She spent almost 15 years in Istanbul, a jazz-loving European capital, where she fronted some of Istanbul's best musicians in many of its best rooms. Feyza's group was the house band at three 5-star hotels along the Bosphorus: the stunning Ciragan Palace Kempinski (rivaling Paris and Rome's best), Park Hyatt and Swissotel Bosphorus. She sang in jazz festivals in more than a dozen Turkish cities, as well as Europe. She spent four years singing Turkish folk music with a very popular ethnic/folk group, Ezginin Günlügü, with which she toured nationally and internationally and recorded four albums: Ebruli, Hürriyete Dogru, Ask Yüzünden, and Rüya, including singing a track on the group's 25th anniversary album, Çeyrek. Feyza also recorded many radio and television jingles as well as the theme song for the Turkish feature film, Oyunbozan. She sang the part of the lead female character of Kayley in the 1998 Warner Bros. Turkish-language version of the animated film, The Quest for Camelot. 

After her stint in Istanbul, Feyza moved home. In April of 2019, she was one of two featured performing artists in the 2019 Saint Louis Visionary Awards. During the pandemic, Feyza collaborated with musician/director Roberto Rossi in the production of a video for Duke Ellington's tune, Blue Pepper, for which she also wrote the lyrics. She celebrated the release of 9 solo CD’s from 2014 to now to present with Steve Davis.

BENNETT WOOD - SAXOPHONE  
Bennett Wood is a freelance musician, composer and educator. He was recently appointed Director of Jazz Studies at Webster University. He previously held full-time academic appointments at Texas State University and Mineral Area College and served as the Interim Director of Education and Community Engagement at Jazz St. Louis.  

Wood is an experienced bandleader and an in-demand sideman. In addition to leading his own group, Wood has performed alongside internationally  acclaimed musicians including Jeff Campbell, Chris Cheek, Montez Coleman, Alan Ferber, Victor Goines, Andre Hayward, Doug Lawrence, Butch Miles, Bruce Saunders, and Reggie Thomas. 

BEN WHEELER - BASS  
Ben Wheeler began playing bass at an early age, following in the footsteps of his father who played upright bass and exposed him to jazz of all eras.  Wheeler played classical in high school and began college studying classical until moving over to finish an undergraduate degree in Jazz Bass Performance from Webster University and a graduate degree from Southern  Illinois University. Ben began gigging in rock bands during the late 90s retro swing fad and continued on to be the regular bassist for Willie Akins, Ptah Williams, Dave Stone, Paul DeMarinis and many other St. Louis straight ahead jazz musicians. His regularity on the St. Louis scene is noted in Dennis Owsley’s book “City of Gabriels.” Wheeler has backed up many national artists including Bob Dorough, Ann Hampton-Calloway, and toured with guitarist Cory Christiansen featuring drummer Danny Gottlieb. Ben has taught at Washington University, St. Louis Community College, and was adjunct professor of music at Webster University for almost two decades. 

BEN DICKE - DRUMS  
Ben Dicke earned a BM (2013) in drum set performance from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, where he studied with Ian Froman and Terry Lyne Carringtion, focusing on traditional and contemporary jazz vocabulary and technique. He continued his education in 2015 with legendary jazz drummer and educator Bob Gullotti of the Fringe. He has performed with numerous Americana, R&B, and jazz artists on stages across New England and the US. Since moving to St. Louis in 2018, Ben has become an active member of its thriving jazz scene, performing regularly in the region, most notably as a member of the Kendrick Smith Quartet. Always inspired by the greats of the past as well as those with whom he shares the stage, Ben continues to push the tradition with his honest and expressive performances.